Landon Collins plays admirably despite playoff loss

There were those weeks during the regular season when the road teams performed admirably, but came up on the losing end of the scoreboard in a good amount of games.

And then there was Wild Card Weekend.

All four home teams emerged victorious in the opening round of the playoffs, making that bus ride back to the hotel and airport that much more painful for the road squads. As a result, it’s difficult to pick out stars in defeat. We’re taking on that task anyway, because we don’t fear challenges. We embrace them.

Here are your greatest away from home — and best losers — of Wild Card Weekend.

Greatest on the Road

Landon Collins, New York Giants

We’re going to overlook that Hail Mary, and how Landon Collins was right there to make a play on a ball returning from orbit, because despite the loss and Green Bay explosion of points through the air, Collins still had a pretty good game.

Much like his 2016 campaign turned out, Collins was all over the field Sunday, recording six tackles and three assists. The safety was also one of five Giants to sack Aaron Rodgers.

It wasn’t enough in the end, as the Packers prevailed 38-13. But for at least two and a half quarters, Collins was the leader of a defense that had the Giants in the middle of a heated playoff battle.

Also considered …

Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

While Pittsburgh jumped out to a big lead, Miami’s offense largely floundered. Jarvis Landry did his best to counter that.

The wide receiver whose measurables never dropped jaws broke 100 yards receiving with double-digit receptions in the loss to the Steelers, finishing with 11 grabs for 102 yards. He was kept out of the end zone — everyone was except for the underalded Damien Williams — but was the go-to guy for a Dolphins offense (led by the gritty Matt Moore) that battled but came up well short of victory.

Damien Williams, Miami Dolphins

Speaking of Williams, let’s go ahead and throw him in here too.

The running back posted a stat line of three rushes for 14 yards, and one catch for four yards. But the most important part of his numbers that we left out is the one touchdown he scored, the lone trip to the promised land for any Dolphin on Sunday.

As the game got out of hand and Miami started to look as if it might not hit pay dirt at all, tweets flew regarding the last Dolphin to score a postseason touchdown. Who was it, you ask? Running back Ronnie Brown in the 2008 season’s playoffs, in a Wild Card loss to Baltimore on Jan. 4, 2009.

Here’s to you, Damien, for being the newest Dolphin to last score a touchdown in a playoff game. Hopefully Miami won’t have to wait eight more years to change that.